Refrigerating apparatus



5, 1939- A. A. KU'CHER 2,169,763

REFRIGERA'I'ING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1957 Patented Aug. '15, 1939- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS 1 Andrew A. Kucher, Dayton, Ohio Application July 20, 193'I,-Serial No. 154,641 4 Claims- (01. 211-153) The present invention relates to shelf construction and particularly to shelf construction in which a. section of the shelf is, or sections are, removable.

5 One of the objects of'the present invention is to construct a shelf of a main section and a plurality of sub-sections, each of which includes a plurality of portions at different sides thereof and which overlie and rest on the main section,

the sub-sections being ari-anged or disposed one Q in back of the other and the front sub-section is removable independently of the rear section. Another object of the present invention is to provide the front sub-section with a portion which overlies the rear sub-section so that the front sub-section issupported by the rear subsection and the main section.

Other'and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator B5 cabinet showing the door thereof open and employing the improved shelf, one of the shelves being broken away for the sake of more clearly illustrating the improved shelf;

Fi 2 is a top plan view of the improved shelf 50 Fig. 3 is a front view thereof Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a removable shelf section; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views taken on lines .5-5 and 66 of Fig. 2, respec 35 tively.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows, for illustrative purposes, a refrigerator cabinet 29 having a'food storage-compartment 2| carrying shelves 23, 24 and 25. ,These shelves are carried go by pins 26 disposed along the opposite sides and carried by the lining 29 of thecabinet 20 (see Fig. 5). An evaporator and ice freezing section is indicated at 29 below which is disposed a drip and freezing tray 39. The shelves are perforate l5 and are preferably formed of wire whereby air can circulate freely through the food storage compartment.

One or more of the shelves can be constructed in accordance with the disclosure in Figs. 2 to 6 i and in Fig. 1, I have illustrated such shelf at 24.

Referring to- Figs. 2 to 6 the shelf 24 includes amain section 32 and two sub-sections 33 and 34.

These sub-sections are disposed one in back of the other and are identical in construction and therefore interchangeable.

The main section 32 includes a frame 36 formed of relatively heavy wire. The wire is bent to provide four spaced rearwardly'extending and horizontally disposed runs 31, 33, 39 and 40. The rears of the outer runs 31 and 40 are connected 5 with one another by a straight transverse run 4| and the front of the outer run 31 is connected by a short straight run 42 to the front of inner run 38. Likewise the fronts of inner run 39 and outer run 40 are connected by a run 43. The 10 rears of inner runs 38 and 39 are connected with a short run 44 which lies parallel with and in front of run 4| and is suitably secured to run 4| as by solder. The runs 31 to 44 are preferably formed of one piece of wire joined at the ends 16 to form the endless wire frame. Relatively light strands 46 of wire are suitably secured to runs 4|, 42 and 43. This construction provides two shelves 4! and 48 which are' spaced from one another.

Each sub-section 33 and 34 includes a frame 50 formed of relatively heavy wire. The wire is bent to a substantially rectangular shaped loop including front run 5|, rear run 52 and connecting runs 53 "and 54. Relatively light strands 56 of wire are suitably secured to runs 5| and 52 thus providing the shelf. The sub-sections fit within the space between shelves 4! and 4 8 of the main section. Ears or portions 51 are secured to the tops of runs 52, 53 and 54. Ears 51 of subsection 33 overlie the runs 38, 33 and 44 of the main frame 36 and the like ears 51 of sub-section 34 overlie the runs 38 and 39 of the main frame 36 and run 5|. .of sub-section 33. Thus the sections 33 and 34 are supported in the same horizontal plane as shelves 4! and 48. v

The entire shelf 24 including the sections 33 and 34 can be handled as a unit, for example, it can be removed from or inserted bodily into the cabinet compartment -2|. Lugs 59 are secured to the underside of rear run 4| of the main frame 36 which hook in back of the rear pins 26 in order to prevent accidental withdrawal of the shelf. Like lugs are secured to shelves 23 and 25.

One of the main advantages of the present invention is that the shelf 24 can be arranged to accommodate tall and varying width articles stored below the same without unnecessary loss of shelf area. For example, if tall bottles are to. be cooled, it is necessary to remove only the front section 34 and the rear section 33 is usable as a shelf. Yet, a tall and bulky article, such as a -water-melon, can be stored in the cabinet be-' cause both sections 33 and 34 are removable.

The sub-sections cannot he slid straight forward and therefore are not readily displaced by accident. The extending portions of the ears are in the form of hooks which catch behind either run 44 or so that the rear end of the sections 33 or 34 must be tilted upwardly before the section can be moved horizontally.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow:

I claim:

1. A perforated shelf for a refrigerator cabinet, said shelf extending substantially across and substantially throughout the depth of the cabinet, said shelf including an inherently stable main section having means on opposite sides thereof for supporting same by the side walls of the cabinet and having a portion open at the front, said shelf also including. a plurality of removable sub-sections supported solely by the main section, said removable sub-sections being disposed one in back of the other with the front sub-section closing the open-front portion of the main section, the rear sub-section having portions disposed at different sides thereof and overlying the main section so as to rest solely on the main section, the front sub-section having portions disposed at different sides thereof and overlying the rear sub-section and the main section so as to rest solely on the main section and the rear sub-sections.

2. A perforate shelf for a refrigerator cabinet,

said shelf extending substantially across and substantially throughout the depth of the cabinet, said shelf comprising a main section and a subsection; said main section including an endless wire including four rearwardly horizontally disposedruns spaced from one another, the rear of each outer run being connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, the rears of the inner rearwardly extending runs being connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, said straight runs being secured to one another, the front ends of next adjacent inner and outer runs being each connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, wires supported on the endless wire and disposed between the inner and outer runs so as to provide a plurality of shelf sections spaced from one another; said sub-section including a perforate shelf disposed between the first mentioned spaced shelf sections and having portions disposed at different sides thereof and overlying the inner runs of the main section so as to rest on the main section.

3. A perforate shelf for a refrigerator cabinet,

said shelf extending substantially across and substantially throughout the depth of the cabinet; said shelf comprising a main section and a plurality of sub-sections, said sub-sections being disposed one in back of the other; said main section including an endless wire including four rearwardly extending horizontally disposed runs spaced from one another, the rear of each outer run being connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, the rears of the inner rearwardly extending runs being connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, said straight runs being secured to one another, the front ends of next adjacent inner and outer runs being each connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, wires supported on the endless wire and disposed between the inner and outer runs so as to provide a plurality of shelf sections spaced from one another; the rear sub-section including a perforate shelf disposed between the first mentioned spaced shelf sections and having portions disposed at different sides thereof and overlying the inner runs of the main section so as to 4 rest on the main section; said front sub-section including a perforate shelf having portions disposed at diflerent sides thereof and overlying the rear sub-section and the inner runs so as to rest on the main and rear sub-sections.

4. A perforate shelf for a refrigerator cabinet, said shelf extending substantially across and substantially throughout the depth of the cabinet;

said shelf comprising a main section and a plu-' rality of sub-sections, said sub-sections being disposed one in back of the other; said main section including an endless wire includin four rearwardly extending horizontally disposed runs spaced from one another, the rear of each outer run being connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, the rears of the inner rearwardly extending runs being connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, said straight runs being secured to one another, the front ends of next adjacent inner and outer runs being each connected with one another by a straight horizontal run, wires supported on the endless wire and disposed between the inner and outer runs so as to provide a plurality of shelf sections spaced from one another; said sub-sections including perforate shelves disposed between the first mentioned spaced shelf sections and each having portions at different sides thereof overlying the inner runs of the main section so as to rest on the main section.

ANDREW A. KUCHER. 

